UEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA 225 



Root perennial, a large scaly bulb. Stem 3 to 5 (in favorable situations, some- 

 times 7 or 8) feet high, terete, smooth. Leaves 2 to 4 inches long, and I third to 

 3 fourths of an inch wide, distinctly 3-nerved, with a slender acuminatum, and nar- 

 rowed at base, the margins and nerves smooth; verticils of 6 or 8 leaves ; the upper 

 leaves more or less scattered, generally short and often lance-ovate. FlowersS or 3 

 to 10 or 20, or more, when numerous arranged pyramidally on peduncles 3 to 6 

 inches, or more, in length. Perianth bright reddish orange, with numerous 

 roundish dark purple spots on the inside ; segments about 3 inches long, tapering 

 pretty regularly to the apex, mostly re volute, or rctlcxed. Style nearly 1 third 

 shorter than the perianth ; stigma obscurely lobed. 



Hab. Moist grounds; Brandy wine: rare. FL July— Aug. Fr. Sept. -Oct. 



Obs. I have not, myself, met with this splendid species, in Chester County : 

 but Mr. Samuel Peiuce, a careful observer, and excellent practical Botanist, in- 

 forms me he has seen it along the Brandy wine, near the south side of the County. 

 It occurs frequently in the moist clay grounds, about 12 miles south of West Ches- 

 ter, on the road to Wilmington, Del. Dr. Beck seems to think it a "mere luxuriant 

 variety" of the L. eanailcnse ; but, notwithstanding their general resemblance, 

 the distinguishing characters appear to be constant, even in the humblest speci- 

 mens. One or two additional species are enumerated in the U. States. 



179. HEMEROCALLIS. L. J\ m utt. Gen. 320. 

 [Greek, Hemera, a day, and Kallos, beauty ; its flower lasting but a day.] 



Perianth tubular, 6-parted ; tube cylindric ; limb campanulate, marces- 

 ccnt. Stamens declined. Ovary superior, embraced in the tube of 

 the perianth. Capsule trigonous, 3-celled, 3-valved. Seeds numer- 

 ous, roundish. 



Herbaceous: leaves radical, linear, channelled ; scape corymbose. Aai. Ord. 

 251. Lindl. Liliace.e. (AsriiODELE^. Beck.). 



1. H. folva, L. Leaves linear, keeled ; inner segments of the peri* 



anth obtuse, undulate. Beck, Bot. p. 363. 



Tawny Hemerocallis. Vulgd — Day Lily. 



Gallice — Hemerocale. Germanice — Tagblume. Hisp. — Lirio-asfodelo. 



Root perennial, fasciculate. Leaves about 2 feet long, and an inch wide, acute, 

 smooth. Scape 3 to 4 feet high, somewhat leafy, corymbosely branched at summit; 

 branches bracteatc at base. Perianth tawney, or reddish yellow, about 4 inches 

 long; tube contracted, about an inch long; limb 6-parted, spreading, inner seg- 

 ments curled, or wavy on the margin. 

 Hub. Wet meadows; about houses; frequent. Fl. July. Fr. Sepu 



Obs. This foreigner is frequent in gardens ; whence it has strayed, and is be- 

 coming gradually naturalized, in several neighborhoods. The H. Jlava y with 

 yellow flowers, and flat acute perianth-segments, is occasionally found in gardens, 

 also. There are no native species in the U. States. 



b. Perianth Calyx-like. <{. Flowers on a Spadix. 



180. ORONTIUM. L. jYutt. Gen. 333. 

 [An ancient name ; supposed to be derived from the river Orontes.'} 



Spadix terete, covered with flowers. Perianth of 4 to 6 truncate di- 

 lated cucullate sepals. Stamens 4 to 6. Ovary superior ; stigma 

 sessile, subunibilicate. Utricle 1 -seeded. 



